Scientific studies revealed that craters are formed in this continent when the lakes of fresh water below the thick ice sheets are drained.

Between 2007- 2008, six cubic kilometres of water was reported to have flowed and drained a lake in the Antarctic. This was recorded as the world’s largest flood water due to ice melt and lake drain. It also caused the formation of the vast crater on the empty lake as detected by the satellite radar.

The rapid ice melt in Antarctica is believed to bring significant impact on the climate around the world.

With the changes in water flows from the melting ice caps, the world oceans particularly those in the southern regions, become warmer and salty. According to authorities, those changes in the Antarctic region and Southern Ocean are the significant drivers of climate change.

Melting airstrip

In October 2012, it was revealed in that “AUSTRALIA’S $46 million Antarctic airstrip is melting”. As a result of this, there is study to search for another air link to this icy continent.

The surface melt of the Wilkins strip is due to the huge amount of net loss of ice in Antarctica and this has affected the runway’s usability.

The runway is near the Casey station, the permanent base managed by the Australian Antarctic Division. This air strip has been carved into ice and is located on the northern side of the Bailey Peninsula.

Interesting facts about Antarctica and ice caps

South pole is located in Antarctica – the southernmost continent.

The Southern Ocean surrounds Antarctica.

Most of the people who live in this continent are researchers and scientists.

Every year, the continent experience six months without a glimpse of the sun.

About 98% of Antarctica is covered with ice.

The size of the covered area is almost 14 million square kilometer.

The amount of ice is about 26.5 million cubic kilometer.

Parts of the ice caps have been melting at a fast rate, three times faster 20 years ago.

Around 61% of fresh water in the world comes from Antarctica.

Antarctica’s ice sheet is considered to be the world’s largest single mass of ice.

If all the ice in this continent were to melt, the sea levels would go up to 200 feet.

Antarctica after 30 million years

According to Professor Andrew Shepherd from the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom, with the “accuracy of our data set, we are now able to say with confidence that Antarctica has lost ice for the whole of the past 20 years. In addition to the relative proportions of ice that have been lost in the northern and southern hemispheres, we can also see there’s been a definitive acceleration of ice loss in last 20 years. So together Antarctica and Greenland are now contributing three times as much ice to sea levels as they were 20 years ago.”

In the year 2006, the winter in the northern hemisphere had the lowest level of ice in three decades which was just 14.6 million square kilometres. The average recorded from 1979 to 2000 was 15.9 million kilometres. Given this situation, there is a posing threat to the polar bears that are dependent on the ice to live.

As the sea ice in the Arctic Ocean continue to shrink combined with untimely ice melt, the living conditions to the world’s largest bears become unfavourable. Aside from being adapted to survive cold temperatures and to move across icy water and snow, the polar bears hunt seals – their primary food, on the surface of the sea ice. They spend most of their time on the icy water or along the edge of the frozen sea to hunt for seals. Although majority of the polar bears are born on land, they are also considered maritime bears because of their preference to stay at sea or basin coastlines for long hours.

In a related study of one of the scientists from the Polar Bears International, it was revealed that one of the warmest temperatures recorded in history was in 2010. As a result of this, there was delay and weak ice formation in the Arctic.

The question still remains, will the coming weather conditions in the Arctic continue to remain unfavourable for the polar bears? Will they also disappear in the future?

]]>http://journalweek.com/future-of-the-polar-bears/feed/0What are Glaciers?http://journalweek.com/what-are-glaciers/
http://journalweek.com/what-are-glaciers/#commentsWed, 23 Mar 2011 11:18:33 +0000http://journalweek.com/?p=1006One way to tell the how hot or warm the earth is on a global scale is to determine the rate at which large, persistent bodies of ice melt in the cryosphere. It is interesting to know that cryosphere is the earth’s region where water is in solid form and known as the lake ice, sea ice, river ice or ice caps. Glaciers provide adequate information about certain changes in the earth’s temperature. Even subtlest change can have a negative impact on glaciations and can greatly affect the lives of many people all over the world

Glaciers are huge bodies of ice formed from the accumulation of snow on land that becomes compacted over time. This is quite different from sea ice and ice sheets that are formed on the surface of lakes and seas. In the tropics, glaciers are formed only in high mountains where temperature begins to drop thousands of feet above sea level. However, most of the earth’s glaciers are found in Polar Regions like Antarctica and Greenland.

Glaciers serve as earth’s reservoirs of freshwater which can be tapped for a number of uses. This becomes especially important in places where water is scarce. Glaciation is nature’s way of maintaining a state of balance in the earth’s hydrosphere. The movements of our earth’s glaciers are largely dependent on the earth’s temperature. Too much of it and the glaciers will retreat to the oceans and to the atmosphere where it would contribute to the rising of our sea levels and frequent precipitations. The opposite is also true with lower temperatures.

The biggest concern today is the rising of our sea level due to the constant change in the earth’s temperature and the melting away of the large majority of glacial ice in Antarctica and Greenland. It is found out from recent studies that our global sea level is constantly rising up at a rate of 0.8 mm per year. The most appalling truth about this phenomenon is the possibility of a massive ice sheet decay where the entire world’s glacial ice melts away, engulfing the entire world beneath 230 feet of sea water.

Countries are now making efforts to fight against global warming. This includes the production of cars, automobiles, and other means of transportations that rely on electricity, reforestation, and discontinuing the use of chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs) that are harmful to the ozone layer.

There has been warning on the danger of faster glacier melt and that by the year 2100, the sea levels around the world will rise by an average of 12 centimetres due to the meltwater.

Studies predict the shrinking of mountain glaciers by around 27 percent in volume and this will greatly affect the availability of water and regional hydrology. The effects will vary in different locations depending on the height of their glaciers, terrain, and how the area is affected by climate change.

Aside from Antarctica and Greenland, there are other 19 regions that have glaciers and icecaps. However, due to the global warming, most of the glaciers in the various regions may be partially wiped out and this poses danger to millions of people who depend on glaciers for their water.

What is glacier? It is described as a large mass of ice formed from snow that flows slowly over a land mass. It occurs where the snowfall is far greater in winter than the melting in summer. Around 11% of the earth is occupied by glaciers and about three-fourths of this is fresh water. Ninety-nine percent of glaciers are in Antarctica and Greenland.

What is global warming? Also known as climate change, global warming is an increase in the average temperature of the global atmosphere due to greenhouse gas pollution. This phenomenon brings hotter days resulting to droughts and fire. It also causes severe storms and higher sea levels that could bring flooding to low-lying areas and landslides in the mountainous regions.

Further research and studies on the effects of global warming on glaciers will help the future generations prepare for the glacier melt and possible water crisis.